Fixing a bricked AMD 7040 series Framework 13” laptop with $20 tools | Quantum
In 2023, I was in need of a new laptop that should hopefully last me for a<br>while. While looking at my options, I was seduced by Framework’s promise of a<br>repairable and upgradable laptop that supports Linux out-of-the-box without<br>weird driver issues, as well as the option to assemble the laptop<br>myself1 and buy the RAM and SSD I want separately2, back when<br>they were cheap.
For three years, the laptop has served me well, until Framework suggested via<br>newsletter to install the latest BIOS3 update, version 3.20, with a bunch<br>of security fixes. Unfortunately, the system hung and displayed a corrupt image<br>on the screen, signifying a failed BIOS flash.
Naturally, I reached out to Framework support, who told me to unplug the laptop,<br>let the battery drain, and power it back on again afterwards, hoping the laptop<br>would recover by itself. Unfortunately, it never did, and after giving Framework<br>a bunch of information, they informed me that since my 1-year warranty has<br>expired, I have no option but to purchase a new Framework motherboard, which<br>will cost at least CA$500.
A quick search revealed that many people had issues with BIOS flashes with this<br>specific BIOS update on the Framework forums, even those in<br>warranty, and on a different thread, people have been having<br>similar issues with BIOS flashing in general on this model since at least March<br>of 2025. To my knowledge, Framework has never acknowledged the issue or offered<br>any indication that the problem was fixed, so buying a new motherboard would<br>simply be playing Russian roulette if I ever wanted to update the BIOS again, on<br>top of spending CA$500+ through no fault of my own.
Thus, I opted against buying a new motherboard and embarked upon a journey to<br>flash the BIOS myself. I documented this journey in excruciating detail so that<br>hopefully, by following along, you’ll understand exactly how you might fix<br>similar problems.
Table of Contents
Why Framework?
The fatal BIOS flash
Reaching out to support
Troubleshooting on my own
The BIOS chip
The flash programmer
Purchasing the tools
Response from Framework
The data breach
Extracting the BIOS image
Delivery of the tools
Connecting the chip
Executing the flash
Consequences of flashing
Conclusion
Why Framework?
In 2023, my basic requirement for a laptop was as follows:
Compatible with Linux;
Small and light enough for travel;
A standard US keyboard layout, not that horrible Canadian Multilingual<br>Standard layout that’s somehow very common in Canada4;
A modern CPU, but not necessarily super high core count, as I don’t intend to<br>do intensive compiling or gaming while travelling; and
Socketed RAM and SSD, so I can upgrade those down the line, or buy from a<br>third party if it made financial sense. I wanted to start it at 32 GiB<br>of RAM5 and 1 TB of SSD6, since those were reasonably<br>affordable in 2023.
As such, my options are effectively limited to the 13” thin-and-light laptops<br>without a discrete GPU. At the time, AMD Ryzen was ahead of Intel in the<br>performance department, so I decided to go for an AMD CPU.
There were a plethora of 13” thin-and-light AMD Ryzen laptops that fit the bill,<br>but since I didn’t need the new laptop right away, I figured I might as well try<br>something new.
At the time, Framework was a relative newcomer on the laptop scene, promising a<br>repairable and upgradable experience, along with swappable ports. I rather liked<br>the idea of not being locked to the ports that the manufacturer decided to put<br>onto the laptop, and I wanted more upgradability also. It definitely helped that<br>Linux came with full first-party support and no requirement to run patched<br>kernels or anything crazy like that.
Furthermore, Framework was a very big proponent of the right to repair<br>movement, and I strongly believe that laptops should be repairable, like<br>desktops, and not just thrown away after a minor problem, so I also wanted to<br>support them on that front.
So I looked at the price premium for Framework, and it wasn’t actually that much<br>more expensive once I opted for the DIY edition, sourced my own RAM and SSD, and<br>skipped the pointless Windows licence. With another laptop brand, I would have<br>to either buy the model with the lowest RAM and SSD and upgrade it to the<br>32 GiB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD that I wanted, or pay a premium for the<br>manufacturer to put those in.
So I decided to just go for it and pre-ordered a Framework laptop, and it<br>finally arrived a few months later to much anticipation. I simply slotted in the<br>RAM and SSD, connected the input cover, screwed it in, installed the bezels, and<br>that was it. It honestly felt a bit anti-climactic for a DIY laptop. I then put<br>in a Debian netinst USB drive, and I was off to the races.
For the next three years, I actually had a relatively nice experience, and the<br>AMD Ryzen 5 7640U with Radeon 760M Graphics was still plenty fast for what I<br>needed the laptop to do. There was...